Over the last several years vehicle manufacturers and vehicle operators have worked to improve fuel efficiency of vehicles, so that vehicles may be less expensive to operate and meet more stringent fuel economy regulations. In some heavy-duty vehicles, such as semi trucks, or tractor-trailers, a vehicle is used to pull a trailer that contains cargo, and the location where the trailer connects to the vehicle is often referred to as a fifth wheel. One approach to improving fuel economy involves decreasing the distance between the vehicle and the trailer during certain operating conditions by moving the fifth wheel. Positioning the trailer in closer proximity to the vehicle improves aerodynamics of the vehicle and trailer combination, thus increasing fuel economy of the vehicle. However, in other operating conditions, it may be a disadvantage to position the trailer close to the vehicle, such as during a turn, during rapid deceleration, during low speed operations, or if the trailer is loaded in a manner that positioning the trailer closer to the vehicle would violate axle weight restrictions set by government regulations.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that is capable of automatically positioning a trailer relative to a vehicle by moving a fifth wheel assembly based upon operating conditions of the vehicle and trailer.